Global impact

When the Beatles came along in 1964/65 ... the Americans in a rather charmingly naive way assumed that anybody who came from roughly the same area as the Beatles, if they weren't blood relatives, certainly would be an intimate friend so I became a Beatle expert.John Peel on Desert Island Discs, 1989

The success of Liverpool's music scene has made the city famous around the world. Global impact explored the city's reputation as a 'music city' looking at how that has attracted people to the city.

Beatlemania made the world aware of the city. Liverpool became known as a music city, linked to the image and sound of Merseybeat. In the 1960s, Liverpool music exploded outwards, with The Searchers, Gerry and the Pacemakers and of course The Beatles all having had US hits.

Local artists have since found success in a variety of global markets. In the 1980s OMD, Dead or Alive, A Flock of Seagulls and Frankie Goes to Hollywood all had US hits and were all featured here. Merseyside pop stars have continued to have international success and acts such as Mel C and BBMak have sold millions of records.

Clubs with their signature sounds and branding are also increasingly exported, with Cream being the best known of these. Chibuku Shake Shake now follows hard on those heels.

In the exhibition children could 'Join the Band', dressing up as popstars and used light sensors to play instruments themselves.